Page 70 of By the Fae

Those words sounded foreign and so welcome.

I wanted more people to try to claim the space, so I had more excuses to utter them.

I found myself watching the door, checking my phone, watching the door again. Eventually, it became impossible to see beyond the wall of people, in their vast array of species. Humans and fae, yes, but also orcs, goblins, dwarfs, werewolves, sirens, even merpeople, who had their own tank to the left of the stage.

“One two, one two, one two,” Galmin drawled into the mic while looking at his phone.

I heard the minotaur’s rumbling voice before I saw them. My shoulders dropped in relief as his thunder-crack laughter shook the entire bar. It felt like being backthere. At Goldie’s apartment. My cheeks began aching. I couldn’t keep from smiling.

“Wow, Holly, what great seats,” said Joey, raising her voice as the noise in the bar grew. She and Taurin dropped onto the bench opposite me. She wore a beautiful red dress, strappy and low cut, her boobs envious and frankly, kind of distracting.

I glanced down at my evening outfit. Feeling, for the first time, embarrassed by my choice of clothing. I’d really worn dungarees to a gig. Sure, they were black, cotton, with little rainbow studs on the hips, and they were my only option when it came to evening attire, but they were still dungarees.

Holly, when will you grow up?

Even my sister, sixteen years old, looked more mature than I did. With her leather leggings, crocheted white crop top, messy blonde curtain bangs, and just-woke-up eyeliner.

Maybe I needed to go shopping.

“Where’s Goldie?” I said, thinking of the one person whose loathing for my favourite garment had taken on a near personification level.

Joey shared a smile with her husband. “Don’t panic, Hols. He’ll be here.”

She leaned over to Taurin and whispered something into his ear. He nodded, laughed, whispered something back. Her hand was on his chest, his arm over her shoulder. They both looked towards the stage. Shared a quiet kiss. She pulled a piece of fluff out of his hair. He tugged on the strap of her dress and whispered something else.

I watched them. From what felt like miles away. My heart stilled.

That.

That was what I wanted.

But . . . with whom? With Seth?

At that moment, Goldie placed a tray bearing a disproportionately large number of drinks on the table. He fell to the bench next to me, immediately wrapped an arm around my neck and planted a kiss below my ear.

“You came,” I said, ignoring the wildfire spreading from my jaw down to my toes.

“Did you think I wouldn’t?”

Yes. Actually.Though I only realised it at that moment. He had no idea how utterly relieved I was to see him.

Him. Over everybody else.

He could never know that though. I could never tell him.

“What’s with all the drinks?” I shouted, trying to keep my thoughts on anything but Goldie. “I have to drive my sister back after this.”

“I’ll pay for her taxi,” he said. The noise in the bar had reached such tremendous volumes his mouth was practically connected to my ear. “I’m taking you home tonight.”

It was impossible not to melt a little at this.

He cupped my cheek with his palm and gazed at me for a few moments, his tongue lightly tracing the corner of his lips. He closed the gap again, burying his nose in my hair just above my ear. “You look beautiful.” And, as though he realised the statement was too un-Goldie, he added, “Fucking edible.”

“Even in my dungarees?”

I half expected him to make ayou won’t be in them for very longjoke, but he simply said, “Yes.”

Goldie stood, pulled me to my feet, and switched our places on the bench. He brought a leg up alongside the backrest of the seat and nestled me between his thighs, my back flush to his chest.

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